Voltron: Resurgence
by GreaterDestiny
Summary: Spoilers for season 8: 3 years after the end of the series, Lance accepts an offer from a development magnate to accompany him on a mission to explore new planets created when the universe was rebuilt. Supposedly, it's mere exploration but Lance is hoping for a miracle. And that's more likely than he thinks.
1. Chapter 1

Part 1

Returning

Done. He was done with the final job of the day on the farm, watering the (rather large) vegetable garden at dusk. This task was quite easy compared to everything else that he did during the day, yet it was still hard – mainly because he didn't want to be done with it. Lance's daily routine for the past three years had ended with this, and after it, the distractions ended. Life on the farm was, as he told everyone who asked, a simple life. It was hard work that took his mind off of everything he had experienced in the war. It took his mind off of her. Of course, it was hard to take his mind off of her when everything around him so distinctly reminded him of her. Every tree, every leaf, every form of life that she had fought so hard to protect – it gave him that same longing, that aching feeling in his chest that made him wish he could just see her one more time. When he didn't dream of her, his dreams were often nightmares. The diagnosis of PTSD had been no surprise to him, and even Shiro's initial push to help everyone on the team through their issues had been mostly ignored by Lance. That had probably been a bad idea in retrospect, even if Shiro did reach out to him often to see how he was doing. Out of all his friends, Shiro was the best at seeing through Lance's façade, likely because he had done something similar in the past. Lance appreciated his worry, but there was something almost comfortable about the grief – like he didn't have to worry about anything else except his work and his grief. It gave his life structure.

He ate mostly in silence, chatting a bit with his family. Veronica was off working with the garrison on a humanitarian mission that sought to rebuild planets still devasted from the war. Lance's family had done their best to help him cope and build up his spirits over the years, and he loved them for it. Whenever they did sense that something was wrong, they would do their best to counsel him in their cheesy familial way. It helped to know that they were there for him, although he sometimes wondered if he really should be living with them. In his mind he had become something of a burden at this point. As these thoughts lingered in his mind, he was surprised as his niece ran up to him. "Uncle Lance! There's someone here to see you!"

He was a bit taken aback. He wasn't supposed to be seeing anyone today, and he had no engagements scheduled, but he wouldn't be very surprised if one of his old teammates was here to see him. "Who is it?" "I don't know! I've never seen him before!"

Indeed, the man who appeared in the doorframe was one unfamiliar to Lance. He was of about average height, and stood with a smile in the clothes of someone who clearly had arrived on Altea only recently. "I apologize for the intrusion, I was told I could find Lance McClain here?"

"Ah, I think he's a bit preoccupied at the moment." Lance's mother answered for him. "That's perfectly alright, I apologize again." The man reiterated. As he began to walk away, Lance broke the silence. "I'll talk to you. I'm Lance McClain."

The man had introduced himself as Martin Turan, the founder of Turan Systems. "Turan Systems?" Lance questioned "The intergalactic developer?" "Yes, we've gained an integral foothold in the galactic rebuilding process promoted by the coalition and the garrison. But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about." He said as they stepped outside to continue the conversation. "Well, what did you want to talk to me about?" Lance asked, legitimately curious.

Turan stopped to observe the landscape around them. "First I must ask" he said in a mystified tone "Farming? Really? A man of your talents?"

"It's a simple life." Lance responded, as he always did.

"Lonely, I'd imagine."

"Well, I've got my family, my niece and nephew, and it's rewarding work. I manage." The words struck a chord with him though. It _was_ lonely.

"That's not why I'm here though. Mr. McClain, -" "call me Lance."

"Well, Lance, Turan Systems has noticed that, since the universe-altering event three years ago, several uncharted planets have appeared in the outer systems of the universe. The Coalition has been too busy rebuilding and integrating previously devastated planets to explore these areas, so I've recently gained permission to mount a private expedition into these uncharted areas using some of my personal ships. I would like to offer you the chance to accompany me."

"Me? But why? You don't even know me!"

"True, but since the worlds were presumably created due to the heroic actions of the Voltron Coalition three years ago, I thought it would be disrespectful to explore the area without one of the paladins. And who better than the paladin who bears the Altean mark of the chosen?"

"Well – I mean – I'm just not sure I'm up for it." Lance offered dejectedly. He really wasn't. He'd settled into a comfortable routine on Altea. One he wasn't sure he would leave for the rest of his life.

"I apologize if you find this next offer… insulting. But if it's a question of money, you can name your price."

"No, no, its not that, uh, Mr. Turan?" "Please, call me Martin."

"I have my duties here and I just feel like I'm not meant for that life anymore. I've played my part in space adventures, man."

Turan sighed. "If you say so, Lance. I'm staying in the capital for the next week before I depart on my expedition if you change your mind." He handed Lance a shimmering card. "It has my room number and credentials to contact me if needed. I wish you the best of luck in the future. I hope you might reconsider your decision."

"Well… I'll see." Lance responded.

"Very well, then." Was the only response he got from Turan before departure.

Lance's family had been thoroughly intrigued about the visit. He had initially attempted to brush it off as "Nothing important." However, after a bit of probing from his mother, he eventually relented and told her about the offer he had been given. They sat there together in silence.

"I don't know, Lance." She began. "Something like that might be good for you."

"Really? What do you mean, mom?"

"I'm just saying, you've been doing the same thing for almost three years! You've done a lot of great things in your life, maybe you could go and just, I don't know, get out there. Get your mind off things."

Lance sighed. "I know what you're thinking, mom. I don't need to do that. I'm more comfortable here."

His mother gave him a knowing smile. "Alright sweetie. You're always appreciated here. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Coran wanted to see you at some point."

After Allura died, Coran had been even worse than Lance. He hadn't even gotten the chance to say goodbye, and he felt like he had completely failed Alfor. His grief for Allura had known no bounds, but he had eventually put himself fully into the new Altea and its culture and governance. He lived in the capital, rather close to Lance, so the two still kept in close contact and had remained quite good friends. As Lance walked up behind Coran, he could see the smile light up the bombastic Altean's face. "Hello there, Lance! I was wondering where you were!"

"Kept ya waiting, did I?" Lance asked with some of his old quippyness that he now only reserved for his former teammates and close friends. "What's up, Coran?"

"I… Well, I wanted to check up on you, Lance. I haven't had much time to see you since the third anniversary, and even then, Shiro's wedding was soon after and everyone was so busy. How have you been holding up?"

"I'm getting by, Coran. I really do appreciate your concern."

Coran's expression softened. "Lance, I know its still hard for you. It is for me too, actually. But I do want to help you."

Desperate to change the subject, Lance asked "Coran, is someone named Martin Turan in the capital?" Coran looked at him curiously. "Why, yes. Major human entrepreneur. Using the capital as a starting point for his expedition into uncharted space. But.."

"He visited me today and asked me to go on the expedition with him."

"Well! That's a bit of a shock!" I have to wonder why?"

"He said he wanted a paladin to explore the uncharted space that was created… he thinks it would be disrespectful not to have one of us, and that my marks make me the most worthy."

"Well… Altean markings on a human do give you something special. And from the study of the uncharted areas, there were trace signals that resembled the Voltron lions… almost as if they were searching for something out there as well…"

 _Or… someone!_ The hope went into Lance's head just as quickly as it left, a fool's hope. But he let it linger… "Coran, do you think I should go?"

"Well, Lance… it might actually be good for you. You might need something like this…"

"I'll sleep on it." Was Lance's response, but he already knew what he was going to do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sending out a couple quick chapters to see how this story is received. There will be parts from the POV of the other paladins as well, Lance will be the main focus at the start but you will get to catch up with everyone else. This is… kind of a fix fic? But mainly a continuation. I'm hoping everyone gets the ending they deserve though.**

Chapter 2

A week later, Lance was ready to enter the Turan-175 Tartarus, the flagship of Martin Turan's private fleet that had been built specifically for this expedition. Turan had reacted well to Lance's decision to join the voyage, though he hadn't exactly seemed surprised. Lance's family had been mixed on the issue, though his mother encouraged him in private. It was Coran who had supported him the most. Coran wanted a full map of the Altean signatures in the unmapped areas, and Lance had promised to keep in steady communication with him. Before he left, Lance personally called all of his former teammates to inform them.

"Martin Turan?" Keith asked curiously "I've met the guy. Worked with the Blades in the development of Daibazaal after it returned. A bit weird, but he seems well-intentioned." Lance nodded. "So, you think I should go with him?" Keith paused.

"Lance," he opined slowly "I don't know what you'd be getting yourself into. On one hand, id be careful, but maybe that's just me. On the other hand… you could use something like that. Besides," he chuckled "If he really thinks that _you're_ the best paladin for the job, he deserves whatever screwups happen."

"Awwww" Lance cooed jokingly. "Love you too, Keith."

"Honestly? It sounds like a lot of fun. I would've picked me! In fact, why didn't he pick me?" Pidge pouted sarcastically. "But that sounds like a great opportunity, Lance. That group he runs has utilized a lot of the latest technological innovations we've created by combining technologies across all worlds to be on the forefront of the rebuild! He _still_ should've picked me though."

"Guess you'll need to get yourself some Altean markings first." Lance quipped back with his trademark smirk.

"Uh, I'm not sure what to make of that, Lance. I mean, your family's farm produces some of my best ingredients. Guess we'll see how much of that was really you…" Hunk began to grin at the end.

"Oh, its all me, buddy. Wonder what they'll ever do without me." Lance rolled his eyes as Hunk chuckled. "Haha, but seriously man, I will miss you. When you get back I'll be sure to cook you something better than whatever sludge they have on there. It's been way too long, Lance.

"You're right, Hunk. Love ya, buddy. You've always been here for me, all the way back to the Garrison days."

"Are you sure about this, Lance?" Shiro questioned worriedly. "You really have no idea what this guy's real motivations are. He could want to exploit all of these planet's resources or something."

"Relax, Shiro. Everyone says he's a great guy, and I do want to get more involved in the rebuild in some way. I… can I be honest with you?"

"Of course, Lance. Always."

"I think it'll give me a purpose. I need to do it, Shiro."

A silence fell between their communication screens. "I get it, Lance. You don't feel whole. You need to do something to fill your void, and farming just isn't cutting it."

"Yes." The former Red Paladin responded weakly.

"I'm here for you, Lance. I always am. And if you think you need to do this, I'm not going to try and stop you. But please, keep in touch. I care about you a lot. Me and Curtis are always here."

"Ah, Shiro, settled in to the married life now. How sweet!" Lance went into his routine of playful ribbing.

"Don't change the subject!" Shiro protested.

As he entered the ship, Lance's family gathered to wave him goodbye. They knew that, hopefully, the expedition would not take long at all due the technology involved making for a quick and convenient voyage – but after the war, they always prepared for the worst. Families were like that, he mused. He was grateful for it, however. His family had been there for him the whole time and had helped him when he was at his worst. As the ship began to leave Altea, his mind did linger on the possibility that there would be disaster. After all he had been through, the irony of a simple planetary expedition killing him…

Martin Turan came to greet Lance personally as soon as the Tartarus took off. "Lance, I cannot express how grateful I am hat you are here. The crew has been instructed to treat you as if you were captain."

"That's really not necessary, Martin. I'm sure that I can manage."

"Nonsense! They all already know who you are anyways!" the young magnate said with a hearty chuckle. "Let me show you to your quarters!"

As he walked Lance to his room, Turan explained their course of action. "I was able to get an Altean alchemist on the crew, made sure she was well compensated of course. She'll be able to wormhole us fairly close, but not into uncharted territory. We'll reach the first uncharted planet out of an estimated five in about two days, and send some expeditionary teams down there. If you desire to be on any you can, if you want to stay on the ship you can as well. Entirely up to you. And here's your quarters! Feel free to come to the bridge at any time, Lance. But I do hope you get yourself acquainted with the ship first."

 _A bit overbearing, but its kinda endearing_ Lance thought to himself in regard to Turan. He certainly seemed eager to involve Lance in any project he could. He wondered if Turan was just some super-rich Voltron fanboy. As he set all of his supplies and luggage in the room, his communicator began to beep. _Incoming Transmission; Takashi Shirogane._ Ah, Shiro. Always the worrier about his younger Paladins. Though Lance had to admit, he really did appreciate everything Shiro did for him.

"Everything alright, Lance? You get on the ship okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine Shiro. Thanks. Just getting settled in. What're you doing on this fine day?"

"Me and Curtis just got back from dinner. Speaking of which, Hunk mentioned that he's going to visit you once you get back. Its been a couple months since we were all together – me and Curtis' wedding, in fact. We really should all be there."

"Aha, yeah, your wedding." Lance replied awkwardly.

"Yeah, what about it. Wait, did something happen there?

"Just a lot of alcohol. I can't remember some parts." Lance chuckled. That much was true. It wasn't the whole truth though.

"Well, yes. I saw all of you guys. You probably could've used a bit more supervision. Wait what's that?" A sound rang out from out of the screen. "Sorry, Lance, Curtis needs me real quick. I'll be sure to check up later though,"

"Bye Shiro. Love ya, buddy." Lance said, in what had become another trademark expression. He sighed and laid back on his bed as he though back to Shiro's wedding night. He had talked to all of his teammates in depth since then, but none of them had addressed what had been discussed that night. He wasn't sure if anyone even remembered except him. In fact he didn't remember it all. But what he did remember… well, it wasn't all pretty.

 **I've basically got the next chapter ready, and its going to be a flashback to Shiro's wedding night, with a bit of present day events. We'll also learn more about Martin Turan and his motivations soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

_3 Months ago_

So far, Shiro had had the perfect wedding. He and Curtis were now officially married, and the reception was now in full swing. Almost everyone from the Atlas crew had been invited, due to Shiro and Curtis both having had prominent positions on the ship. Most notably, all of the remaining former paladins were in attendance, and Lance had quickly been accumulated to that when Pidge pulled him over to a table with Hunk and Keith.

"So, guys, how's the food?" Hunk asked with a hint of trepidation, though there was no need for it as it was delicious as always. Though he usually cooked with the utmost confidence, Hunk had been a bit nervous leading up to the wedding. He had wanted to make sure that everything he and his team made was absolutely perfect for Shiro's big day.

"It's delicious, Hunk." Keith responded in his usual quiet yet reassuring tone. "It is!" Pidge chipped in enthusiastically. She was the one who had visibly changed the most over the past three years, going from a boyish 15-year-old to an 18-year-old woman who, while retaining the glasses, had grown her hair long again and was, most noticeably, a few inches taller. She still retained her fascination with technology, however, and had become even more prominent in developing tech with her family the past 3 years.

Lance chimed in his enthusiastic agreement with everyone else's assessment of Hunk's food. Hunk had remained largely the same over the years, with the exception of a much-needed confidence and self-esteem boost due to his reputation as both a paladin and a world-famous chef. It was with a bit of sadness that Lance admitted to himself that he really had neglected to try and spend time with the man who he had considered his best friend while at the Garrison.

Keith, surprisingly enough, had become a bit more clean-cut since his days as a paladin. He had retained his natural leadership qualities from the Voltron days, and was one of the more respected members of the Blade of Marmora. He made efforts to keep in contact with all of the other paladins. Though Lance would've never thought it would happen when they first became paladins, he and Keith's friendly rivalry was just that – friendly. Though they still greatly enjoyed ribbing on each other, there was no denying that Lance and Keith were good friends.

"Hunk, you've been running around all night. Relax. Come sit down with us!" Lance encouraged him. Hunk sighed, before acquiescing to Lance's request. "I probably should. I'm not gonna miss the chance to sit down with all three of you again." "Hey, Hunk" Pidge's voice rang out "How are your bartending skills?"

While there was an open bar at the reception, and Hunk's team was running it, Pidge was the last person they would've expected to ask about it. However, the idea put some of Lance's old competitive spirit back into him. "Whoever's running the bar, they probably can't make anything half as good as I can!" Lance actually did know how to make a few drinks, though he was exaggerating his skill. "You know, a drink or two does sound good." Hunk admitted. "I'll grab them. What's everyone want?"

After confirming that everyone at the table was, in fact, in the mood for a drink, Hunk returned with four glasses and everyone got to chatting. Refills were in order, and by the third round Keith had begun to spill what was on his mind.

"You know, I really am grateful for you guys. You always have been there for me and I don't know where I'd be without you." It was surprising that two and a half drinks was all it took to get Keith to start spilling his guts, although he had opened up a bit more since the war. "I can talk to you guys about everything, right?"

"Let me guess" Pidge chimed in "You and Acxa broke up again?" Keith looked somewhat surprised "Yeah, how'd you know?"

Pidge finished her drink. "That's like, the third time, right? It's not exactly an uncommon occurrence at this point."

Hunk was slightly more tactful. "I'm sorry, man. I did think that you guys would work out. What went wrong?"

Keith sighed. "I think we may be too similar, if that makes sense. We're both pretty stubborn and I'll admit I sometimes don't know when to give something up. We'll always respect each other at least, I think. It's just weird right now, since we work so closely together with the blades."

"Well, you know what helps with that, Keith?" the black paladin looked up towards Lance when he heard his question. "More drinks!"

(-)

Several more drinks were ordered by each paladin over the course of the night, and that turned into a few more. Hunk, despite his size, did not appear to be a frequent drinker, as evidenced by the giggling and laughing fits he was constantly in while inebriated.

"Guyssss….. guys… thank you allllll… for getting me to RELAX!" Hunk exclaimed a bit too loudly.

"Gonna need… to be a bit more quiet, bud." Keith patted on his shoulder as he said this, quite obviously feeling the effects of the liquor himself. Pidge was rocking her chair back and forth in a drunken glee, while Lance had launched into several different conversation topics without bothering to see if anyone was actually listening to him (They weren't).

"Woah, woah. Looks like you guys have been having fun." The chuckling voice was unmistakable, as Shiro had come over to check on his fellow paladins. "I'm guessing the open bar was a good idea?"

"It sure was! How's the man of the hour?" Lance slurred as he slapped the larger man on the back.

"I'm doing pretty alright, to say the least. Once again, I'm really glad all of you made it. Hunk, are you alright?

He asked this because the look on Hunk's face had turned to one of disgust. Realizing what was about to happen, Shiro moved quickly and pushed Hunk over a trash can behind the bar before he could throw up all over the floor. "Ah damn." Keith groaned in his drunken state. "Need any… help?"

"You should probably stay where you are. Wait, Pidge? You aren't drunk, are you?"

"Don't tellll me what to do, mommmm." She responded, confirming Shiro's fears.

"Colleen will kill me if she knows I let this happen!" Shiro groaned. "Lance, Keith, get her up to her room" This command was complicated by the fact the Keith's face was down on the table in a deep, intoxicated sleep. "Lance, please tell me you can help her."

"I will try, chief." Lance stumbled up and made a mock salute towards Shiro, who would've been more annoyed had he not been busy attempting to direct Hunk's next wave of puke into the trash.

(-)

As Lance and Pidge neared her room in an attempt to prevent Colleen Holt from discovering her daughter's current state, she finally spoke up. "Y'know Lance… you're real nice. People don't tell you but you're real nice." Usually, drunk Lance always had a response, but he had never been good with "deep drunkenness" as he put it. So his response was merely "Thanks, Pidge."

"Really, Lance, I meannn it." She slurred as they reached her hotel room in the luxurious building the Garrison had reserved for the wedding. "Listen, I know that you… you don't always feel okay and I feel bad foyou" Pidge drunkenly spit the last part out as they walked in "And I want you to know thattt."

Lance's emotions on the wedding day had been in turmoil, though he had mainly gotten used to that. But he did feel an urge to spill them all out to Pidge, mainly because he had a sneaking suspicion that she wouldn't remember. "I promise you I'm 'kay, Pidgey." Lance responded, trying to play the happy drunk. "You can tell me anything, Lance." Was her sleepy, compassionate response.

Lance couldn't stop himself anymore. "I'm not sure what I'm doing here, Pidge. I don't have a purpose. I… I'm on the farm to distract myself, but its not a purpose… everything I do just comes back to her somehow."

"You're more than Allura, Lance."

"No, I'm not. Its pointless to be here without her." Tears didn't even come now, just sad resignation. "What am I doing here, Pidge?"

"There's other people here for you, Lance. Other people who love you. Maybe you'll find someone else someday."

"I'm not sur-" he began, but before he could finish Pidge's lips were on his. Lance went rigid in shock, not responding in turn but not pushing her back either. She pulled away as quickly as she had kissed him, muttering out a quick apology before stumbling into the bathroom.

(-)

When he saw her the next day, she only complained about her hangover and asked if she had done anything embarrassing while drunk. He denied that she had.

 _Present day_

The Turan-175 Tartarus' size had made for the perfect quarters for its owner – Martin Turan's lodgings were large and comfortable, befitting of a man of such wealth and renown. As the magnate's door slid closed, he made sure that it was on lock, and rapped on the wall next to his bed. A hole slid open, revealing a device displaying views of several vast landscapes of battle cruisers and ground troops. Turan's face grew dark at the sight of the amassing legions.

 **So, yeah, I kinda made things hard for some characters. Sorry. I promise things won't get** _ **too**_ **bad for Pidge.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alright, I'm trying to keep the story going at a pretty brisk pace and avoid meandering plots, while at the same time having meaningful character development and making the story interesting. I welcome constructive criticism and any ideas/ways you'd improve the story; reader feedback is definitely important. Also, I'm going to have some scenes focusing on the other paladins, starting with a Keith portion this chapter. I'll have some with Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk in the future.**

(-)

Lance's first real day on the Tartarus had been uneventful; after the wormhole jump, the approach to the first planet to be explored had begun, and the ship's crew began preparations of several ground and water vehicles which the exploration team would descend and make the initial exploration in. These vehicles had only increased Lance's perception of Turan as an enabled fanboy – they bore an obvious resemblance to the Atlas ships. Turan had quickly assured Lance that the vehicles had "brand-new radar technology" and then had gone off on a technological tangent that would make Pidge blush, but the inspiration for the look of the vehicles was obvious.

Lance's train of thought as he observed the hanger was suddenly interrupted. "Ah, you are the paladin, correct?" A man's voice rang out in an accent that Lance couldn't quite pinpoint. "Oh, uh, yeah, I was." Lance responded, turning around to see a tall, bearded man in what looked to be a jungle combatant's uniform. "I'm Lance McClain, and I was a paladin of Voltron, but I'm not one anymore, so…"

The conversation was interrupted by someone who had grown all too familiar over the past few days. "Good! You've already met!" Martin Turan's voice rang out. "Jack, you know Lance. Lance, this is Janco Badenhorst, our head of security for the mission!"

A look of discomfort spread over Badenhorst's face. "Please, just call me Jack." Lance was still unsure about the accent but figured it would be an inopportune time to ask. "But yes, I am head of security and me and my team will accompany the scientific explorers on the expedition and planetary landings. I was hoping that you would join us."

"Of course!" Lance responded. He'd come on the journey for a reason, and he wasn't planning on staying onboard the home vessel the entire time. And Badenhorst, or Jack apparently, looked well suited to the job. He was a rugged, well-worn looking man, in stark contrast to the clean, Scandinavian features of Turan. However, Lance was slowly getting the feeling that he'd seen him somewhere before. Oh well, it was probably just a coincidence.

(-)

Once preparations were completed, the four initial scout ships departed the Tartarus for "Planet A" as it had been dubbed. Lance was in the same vehicle as Jack and Turan, who had insisted on accompanying them. As Jack took control of the ship, he checked on the others. "Morgan, Jean-Luc, Trish, how are your systems?"

"All good, mate." A female voice, presumably Trish's, rang out. "That's a copy." a different voice responded. "Same here." A man with a light French accent chipped in. The ships began their descent through the atmosphere, all landing at distinctly different areas on the planet. As Turan had repeatedly explained to all who would listen, the speed of his vehicles would enable them to reach each other in minutes if necessary, covering large swaths of the planet quickly. Jack had been quick to jump in and clarify that it was not ideal to do that; it would rather quickly deplete the vehicles of energy.

As their vehicle landed, Lance noticed the rather unusual landscape of the landmass. A large forested area appeared to take up most of the land, but one spot appeared to give way to desert. Lance wasn't exactly proficient in science, but even he knew that normally, that would be functionally impossible. "That's… weird." He commented on it. "Did your scientists know about this landscape before we came here?" he asked Turan.

"We knew of the irregularities, yes. This planet is one of interest, as we study the exact science behind some of these landscapes. Two of the other planets that we will see appear normal, but we will have to study far more closely."

The communicators began to crackle. "Guys, you're gonna want to see this. Get to the 16th quadrant, where we are. We're headed up."

"Morgan? What's going on?" Turan spoke through his communicator. "Just get up there, boss. I've got a feeling that you'll be very interested in what we're seeing.

After a short silence, Jack spoke up. "Do it. I'd trust that man with my life." The ship began to rise into the atmosphere, to get a quicker trip without expending all of its energy.

(-)

"Okay, slightly unusual, but a mountain surrounded by the woods isn't _impossible,_ is it?" Lance asked. "It's highly unusual." Turan responded "And this one isn't surrounded by any other rock formations. I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh, that's not just any mountain." The lead scientist on the expedition had been quiet so far, seeming intent on making observations of the unusual sights. "According to every reading, that's an active volcano."

"But… that makes no sense!" Once again, Lance voiced what everyone was thinking. Someone had to do it.

"Guys?" Morgan's face appeared on the communication screen of the ship once more "We should probably get out of here."

"We should." One of the main scientists concurred "Our sensors are showing that an eruption is imminent."

No one had to say anything as the ships departed for the lower atmosphere. Turan redirected the long-range cameras to view the eruption.

If Lance had to describe the volcanic eruption, he would've ascribed to it a certain destructive beauty. While the trees and all of the surrounding forests were cleared almost instantaneously, with lava and magma raining down and crushing them under the earth and fire, it was horrifying. Horrifying that something natural could do so much damage in a few minutes, yet also beautiful at the same time. As the trees were cleared, the question on everyone's minds was how the forest had sprung up so close to the raging heat of the mountain.

A few minutes later, they got something of an answer.

While watching the cameras, the trees began to spring up again. Slowly, the roots turned into tiny twigs, before stretching up to the sky in harmony and regaining the size and shape they had, while the lava and magma appeared to melt away as if nothing had ever happened at all. The mass amounts of ash, safely out of the ships' range, appeared to dissipate as well. The entire ship stood in shock.

"That… that should be impossible" This time, it was Turan who was the voice of the room.

And while it could be a unique feature of this planet, while it could just be that the vegetation of the planet had a unique kind of life, Lance had a sneaking suspicion that the effects might be due to something he'd seen before; Quintessence.

(-)

The stabilization of the new Daibazaal hadn't been entirely peaceful, but the progress had been extremely promising. Keith, Krolia, and Kolivan had been the main leaders of the process, and the rebuilt Blade of Marmora had become extremely prominent in the creation of a new government. The blades were now something between a humanitarian organization and the recon and covert ops crew that it was originally. The sad fact was, the amount of destabilization attempts from both imperialists within the Galra and anti-Galra organizations left over from the war mandated a certain amount of militarization. And the tactical side of things was why Keith had been called in to a meeting with some of the higher-ups today. Specifically, his mother and Kolivan.

Keith was happy that his mother had found someone again, he really was. But it was sort of awkward that it was Kolivan. It made most blades meetings feel like some sort of attempt at a family gathering. And Keith liked Kolivan too, he just wasn't particularly… fatherly. He tried, of course, but he was clumsy about it. Keith would prefer it if he just stuck to being a leader and mentor, rather than attempting to be a father figure. He sensed that Kolivan would too, but got the idea that it was Krolia putting him up to it. His mother still was plagued by guilt for leaving him on earth, and even though he had long ago forgiven her, she still tried to make it up in ways. He just hadn't anticipated her attempts making things awkward. Weirdly, working with his ex was now something he preferred to do within the blades. He and Acxa always found it easy to remain friends, due to a deep mutual respect for each other and their similar personalities. They just had to, finally, accept that they probably weren't going to work romantically. It was these thoughts that Keith unfortunately found himself drifting to during the rather boring meeting. 

"And one last thing; No one has reported seeing Janco Badenhorst or his mercs in months." Kolivan contributed, as the previously boring meeting was coming to a close. This caught Keith's attention. Janco Badenhorst was notorious due to his quick rise as a rather brutal mercenary who was one of the best in his trade, despite his completely human origins. He was also not at all fond of the Galra, and had participated in several attacks on Daibazaal.

"Knowing him, that's not a good sign. He'll pop up any time now." Keith stated

"Exactly my thinking." Kolivan responded. "No sightings of his lieutenant, Blake Morgan, either. They're planning something." Keith could only speculate what, but he had a very bad feeling. The radio silence from the enemies of Daibazaal over the past few months had left him on edge in a way he hadn't been since the war. Except this time, he didn't have a lion. For now.

 **In case anyone is wondering, Janco Badenhorst is an Afrikaans name. He's meant to be South African. Once again, leave a review and suggestions!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright, time for chapter 5! Hopefully we'll see some big developments here, and I'm trying to give this chapter a distinctly scary feel, kinda inspired by the movie** _ **Annihilation,**_ **which should give you an idea of what I'm going for with this chapter, although not all of this fic. I've taken a lot of inspirations for the story of this fic, including** _ **Black Panther**_ **and** _ **District 9**_ **(weird combo, I know, but I think the comparisons will soon become evident).**

(-)

Lance's dread had fully set in once Turan's crack team of scientists, as well as the Altean, had been able to confirm that there was a large deposit of quintessence located on planet A. At this point, the former Red Paladin had no idea what to expect from the next three planets, but he had learned from the war that large amounts of quintessence usually attracted uninvited guests willing to go to unthinkable lengths to take it. Although Turan had assured him that that was not his intention, it did not shake Lance's trepidation about going forward.

Still, he traveled. In truth, he didn't know how to stop himself. He wanted to go on just to see what they did find. The curiosity that came with the trepidation was unlike anything he had felt in a long time – he was actually feeling some kind of twisted excitement, a feeling that had been alien to him for the past three years. Lance had, in the past, wondered if he would be better off dead, and wondered if that was what he actually craved. He had quickly shoved the thoughts far into the back of his mind, but they always lingered. Now, he was beginning to think that what he actually missed was the action, the battle, something that he had grown to excel at over the course of the war and promptly discarded once it was over. The amount of time and skill he had invested into it, only to lose it, made it seem pointless, wasted even. Now the chance to potentially put his skills back to use gave him an excitement that he knew he shouldn't have.

The findings on Planet A made Planet B even more perplexing and ominous. Lance had been expecting a strange planet, yes, but for all intents and purposes, Planet B was just an exceedingly large asteroid. There were no signs of life, plant or animal, anywhere on it. The planet was a dark rock floating through the vastness of space with no life, completely barren, as if it had already surrendered to the void.

"This make no sense." Turan could be heard muttering to himself through the hallways of the Tartarus. "This planet was supposed to be the perfect landing point. A new colony. Free of life yet capable of hosting it."

While Lance guessed that with significant modifications, Planet B could host life, it was hardly an appealing home. However, he thought that a developer like Turan might appreciate that. An entire planet, one to mold in his image. In fact, this was the exact thought that his benefactor began repeating later on.

"Yes, we'll salvage it!" he began saying to his team. "We can create a superb colony out of this planet."

"That's why I never trust these businesspeople." Lance was startled by a voice to his right, which he found came from Morgan, Jack's deputy on the security team. "Only thing they care about is making a profit. Doesn't matter how much they've got already."

Lance hadn't talked to Morgan much, but he did appreciate the attempts to socialize. It was strange that it came from Morgan though. The tall, dark man had made almost no attempts previously, and came across as a man of few words. "Not always." Lance replied. "I think he cares about the science-ey side as well."

"Possibly." Was Morgan's response. "But cash is king. This whole trip was a money-making opportunity for him. He's garnered a lot of good publicity from working with the coalition – and recruiting a former paladin? That's probably his next marketing step."

Lance had considered this possibility before, and hadn't entirely ruled it out. Still, he wasn't sure he cared. He needed something to occupy his mind, something to have as a purpose, and so far, this journey was providing it. "I've thought about that." Lance replied carefully "And you may be right, but there's more going on here."

"Oh, definitely." Was Morgan's response. "But you didn't know that at first. Why'd you come on the mission on the first place?"

"Well, four unexplored planets, created at the end of the war, it… sounded interesting… I felt like I had to."

"You miss, it, don't you?" A pregnant pause lingered afterward "The battle."

"Yeah, I do." Lance sighed. "I never thought that I would… I guess I just became so good at it… I guess it's a part of me now."

"You're not the only one, man." Morgan responds. "Trust me, I know the feeling."

Lance looked up, a tired but hopeful glimmer in his eyes. "What's your story? I'm guessing you know mine."

Morgan nodded. "I do. Mine isn't as interesting. Left my home in Georgia when I was young to join the marines, always wanted to join the garrison but I wasn't one of the guys they chose. Lost a lot of my squadmates, came back home. Then the Galra invasion happened, I lost a lot of my family." Morgan's head was hung down; this wasn't a story he liked telling. "I joined up with a band of rebels and they became my new family. After the war I started taking jobs like this; its my way of coping, I guess."

A dark look enveloped Morgan's face. Lance knew that his memories were haunting him in the same way Lance's did. "Hey man, I know I don't know you that well, but you've fought for an honorable cause and if I get the chance, I'll fight with you. I've got your back." Morgan's face returned to a look of professionalism. "Thank you. That means a lot. I'll do the same."

(-)

The third planet appeared to have actual life on it, though the scanners made it unclear as to what it actually was. A relatively normal landscape appeared on the ship's screens once camera-bots were sent to the surface, clearing the way for a physical exploration. The same amount of small ships that had been sent before would also go this time, with Lance manning Morgan's ship while Turan remained in Jack's. Lance's feeling of trepidation only increased as his ship reached the surface of the world. A breezy landscape full of natural wonders greeted them as they landed, a field spread out as far as their eyes could see. Small animals grazed, unbothered by the ship's approach. "That's strange." Lance thought to himself. As the crew stepped out, he could tell that Morgan was on edge as well.

As they stepped through the field, the feeling that something was off only grew. His feel sifting through the plants and grasses, Lance watched as several of the scientists leaned down to collect natural specimens. Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched one of the scientists reach down to touch one of the curiously earth-like animals, which had only began to react when the man was right above it. It took Lance a few seconds to react when the hand passed straight through the animal.

At first, the scientist seemed quite shocked. He jus stuttered, and the animal itself ceased to move. Lance was the only one who had seen it directly, and he began to move as quick as he could. "Guys? Lets get out of here! Quick!"

"Huh?" was Morgan's reaction, before the entire landscape began to flicker. No one spoke as it morphed before their eyes, the illusion they had been seeing revealing a far more treacherous world of a canyon surrounded by mountains, with four tall trees in a perfect square at the top of the canyon.

"The world… it was an illusion!" one of the crew repeated in astonishment. "Yeah, no shit." Morgan responded. "Let's move! Back to the ship!" as they fled to it, one of the trees began to flicker. Then, something began to emerge from the tree itself. Branches began to break off, forming themselves into deformed arms that stretched to an unnatural length, while a mass of headless bones attached itself to the arms, spontaneously growing deformed flesh to fit its body. It clearly sensed the crew, as it jumped into the canyon just as everyone was loading up.

'Get in! I'll shoot it down!' Lance yelled, pulling out his long-range laser rifle he had been provided with for the trip. He took the best quick shot that he could. Unfortunately, he was still out of practice, as the shot closely missed the creature. This had an even worse result, as the creature began to center in on him. Fortunately, the ship had been equipped with cannons, and Morgan had quickly taken control. Shots fired out at the creature, which gave Lance the time to get inside.

"What is that thing?" Lance asked with a horrified expression on his face. None of the scientists seemed to have any explanation for its appearance, and the ship was rocked as the creature jumped onto the front. Lance looked at Morgan, and a quick understanding was formed between them. The creature rammed itself into the ship, aiming to break through it, but Lance and Morgan hopped out the top to battle the creature.

Lance grabbed a sidearm he had been keeping with him as he popped out on top and fired it into what passed for the creature's stomach. An inhuman growl followed, and it turned its attention to Lance. It's attention was then grabbed by a blue knife sticking itself into its chest, its laser burning through its skin. Lance gave a quick nod to Morgan, who hit his mark with two more knives as the creature lumbered towards them. Lance's time to shine.

Fortunately, the creature seemed singularly focused on the last thing that had wounded it, in this case, Morgan. As Morgan readied his last throwing knife, Lance prepared his high-powered rifle and switched it to it's highest setting. "a bit closer…" he muttered as the gun seemed to grow heavier in his hands. As he looked down the sights, aiming for the headless neck, one more knife pierced the chest of the creature. A dull roar rang out, and the clock was accelerated by the creature beginning to sprint. _Shit_ Lance thought, adjusting his sights. The fear was palpable in Morgan's eyes as the creature got closer to it's target. _Now or never_. Lance fired one shot. Then another, and another. All three hit their target. The creature fell down, right in front of Morgan, as grey blood spurted out of the beck. "Close one." Was all Lance said. "Thank you." Was Morgan's response.

As the ship departed, the crew watched several other deformed creatures pop out of the trees, rock formations, and even the ground itself. Lance reached his realization when he saw an all-too familiar flash of purple behind each creature as they appeared. "No…" was all he said.

(-)

As the shaken crew recovered from their ordeal on the Tartarus – every other crew having only seen the changed landscape, and left at that point – Lance asked Turan for a private audience. "of course, Lance!" the magnate exclaimed "anything"

"We have to turn back." Lance said when they were alone.

"We've come so far already, Lance." Turan responded. "We can't just… give up!"

"You don't understand, Martin. What I saw on that planet… those creatures weren't from this reality. That planet is a gateway to other realities, extradimensional creatures come over! That planet will be destroyed!"

Turan's expression turned more serious. "Ah. I wondered if you would realize."

"Wait, you knew?" Lance was shocked "You can't mess with other realities! This is dangerous? What are you planning?"

"It's not what I'm planning."

"What do you mean?"

"Let me show you something." Turan began to go to his private quarters. Lance kept his hand on his sidearm, wary of a further betrayal. He doubted that Turan stood much of a fighting chance against him, but he wanted to be careful anyway. As the private room closed, Lance watched with curiosity as his benefactor opened a hidden compartment, revealing what appeared to be a strange window.

"Lance, extradimensional forces are planning to invade our dimension, our reality."

"Bullshit." Lance responded, "How could they?"

"Is it really that hard to believe? With all you've experienced? Come, look through the window. See what I've seen."

As Lance cautiously approached, he saw a mass of ships. Altean ships, it appeared. "What exactly am I looking at?" "The invaders."

"Wait" Lance stuttered as he saw a face he didn't ever anticipate seeing again "That's…"

General Hira of the Altean Empire, the force that the Paladins had escaped from during their excursion into an alternate reality.

"You've seen them too?" Turan reacted, surprised. "Then you probably know what they're capable of!"

"Well, how would they get here?" Lance asked.

"The last planet was only the beginning, Lance. The next planet? It's a full gateway. A natural one. The mission was never to explore it, it was to confirm it and then destroy it."

"Wait, what? Why wouldn't you tell the coalition? Or the garrison?"

"They can't be trusted with this, Lance!" Turan began to raise his voice. "We're already heading there! Only you and I know the destruction they can cause! Once we close the gateway, the universe will finally be safe, but only if we save it!"

Turan's eyes were bloodshot, his voice sounding pained and his face looking disturbingly like Lotor's during his insanity. Lance backed up. "Alright, I get it. Let's do it. We'll do it. Save the Universe, you and me, okay?"

Turan began to calm down. "Yes, yes, you understand now. We must do it. Us. Only us.' Lance nodded in response. "Now, you should ready yourself. We have an interdimensional gateway to destroy."

(-)

As Lance entered his quarters, he quickly moved towards his communicator. Lowering his voice so no one could hear him, he set his messages to send to his fellow paladins and the garrison.

"Guys, Lance here. Something's very wrong with this mission. Like, alternate reality level wrong. Galactic invasion level. Get here as fast as you can. I don't have time to explain. Hurry. Lance out."


	6. Chapter 6

**Shit is gonna go down this chapter, and the story is really gonna kick into full gear. Constructive criticism is always welcome in the reviews and feel free to message me as well. I've been feeling like I may need more realistic dialogue, so let me know if you agree.**

It had been at least 12 hours, and Lance had not yet received a response to his distress signal. He was considering talking to the security team about Turan's plans, but he had to consider that they might've been in on it as well. Although he had felt like he'd earned Morgan's trust, he was still, essentially, a hired gun. Now, more than ever, Lance missed the rest of team Voltron. He knew that at this point, maybe even without the lions, the team would've already come up with a plan to deal with both a delusional tycoon and a potential invasion from another reality. He had been hoping that _someone_ would respond, be it the garrison itself or even just someone like Hunk or Keith.

His eyelids slowly began to fall; he hadn't slept for over 16 hours, and it was beginning to take a toll on him. Lance hadn't wanted to sleep; he didn't know what was going to happen, and he wanted to be ready at a moment's notice. He had gotten quite good at suppressing his urge to sleep over the past few years. The dreams – and nightmares – were often painful, and he always reached a point where the insomnia didn't even affect him anymore. But this time felt different, as if a supernatural force was pushing his eyes shut. Lance struggled with it, but it began to feel futile. It was out of his control somehow.

Sleep hit him, yet at the same time it did not. He was completely lucid in his dreams, which was highly unusual. The dreamlike haze he was in reminded him that it was not at all real – yet it felt realer than most of his life.

Then she came. Allura. It was hardly a surprise to Lance, as she had been a constant feature of his dreams for the past three years. Lance both loved and hated it, relishing the image of her in his head, but hating that it could never be real again. The pain in his chest only grew as she floated closer to him, closing in over the ethereal landscape. She seemed… different. So, so close to the real Allura, but not quite there. It made his longing even more painful, the sad smile that spread across his face hurt even more.

"Lance…" she said softly, lightly brushing her hand across his cheek. He stayed silent, hoping to relish the moment as long as he could. "Oh, Lance…" she whispered, her voice brimming with sympathy and sadness "You don't know how much I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Allura." He responded, tears beginning to stream down his face. "I've missed you so much."

"Lance, I'll always be with you. You know that."

"Yes, but… why can't you be here? With me? Why?"

Before he could answer he was rocked awake by a massive shift throughout the ship.

(-)

Lance was still stuck in a haze as he wandered through the ship towards the bridge. He ignored the panicked actions of the crew around him, moving straight forward as he struggled to regain consciousness. The ship shook again as Lance reached the bridge. "What's going on?" he let out. The startled looks on the faces of both Jack and Morgan let him know that they weren't sure either. From the front screens, they could see the protrusion of what looked to be a massive cannon.

"Shit." Lance exclaimed. The cannon was aimed towards what looked vaguely like a planetary mass nearby, but it was unlike anything Lance had ever seen. He would've said it was a star cluster, but it was morphing into various forms and shapes, something that no normal star cluster could do. "It must be the last planetary mass! He told me he was gonna do this!"

"Wait, he told you? What's he doing?" Morgan exclaimed, his voice betraying a hint of anger. "He thinks that this place is actually an interdimensional wormhole! He wants to destroy it!"

"That can't be true! Can it"

"He definitely thinks it's true! He thinks that this reality will be invaded!"

"Let him do it." Jack's voice suddenly entered the conversation. "He'll do no harm if he's wrong, and he'll help if he's right."

Both Lance and Morgan looked at Jack with skepticism. Lance had considered this point of view that Jack was expressing, but also doubted Turan's sanity. Morgan, on the other hand, agreed with Jack rather quickly. "Yes sir. We'll see where this goes."

The first blast from the cannon was accompanied by Turan's entrance. "Ah! Now you see my masterwork! The dangers that face our universe will be wiped out by this wonderful machine, and Turan Technology will keep every world safe from extradimensional dangers! What I have seen from the void will be eradicated!"

"Alright, I'll go along but only because you're payin' me. But you need to explain what in the fresh hell you're talking about." Jack inserted, interrupting Turan's monologue. "Our friend Lance knows, Jack. Did he not tell you? We're saving the universe! And you haven't even seen the true power of this ship!"

Turan pressed a button on his wrist, and the previously ineffective beam emitting from the cannon dulled its roar to a high-pitched whine. The beam thinned from a wide pink to a dull green as it began to slowly stretch towards the cluster. As soon as it impacted the cluster, a split-second blast of lightning spread out through it before the cluster began to contort and twist much faster than it had previously.

"What the hell is going on, Turan?" Morgan asked, his voice getting slightly threatening.

"That beam is my masterwork. That beam will contract all energy and quintessence from the wormhole and trap it in a much smaller, more controllable form. The wormhole will be gone, the threats will be gone, the world will be safe, and the amount of energy and power that I have to boost this company will be immeasurable! Don't you see? It's perfect!"

As Turan continued, Lance could barely believe what he was hearing. Was that even possible? Then, he saw the cluster. The contortions and stretches had only continued, and now they formed a shape that looked distinctly… humanoid. The figure began to write around, as if in pain. The "hair" of the figure took a shape that Lance knew all too well. He drew his sidearm.

"Shut it off, Turan." Lance's tone left no room for argument. "I said, shut it off." His sidearm was pointed directly at Turan, leading Jack to quickly target Lance in return. Lance scoffed.

"Listen, I'll shoot him. I'm willing to make a sacrifice. I honestly don't care what happens to me at this point. But what he's doing, its wrong. There's something there. Something _alive._ Shut it off, Martin."

"You foolish man. Don't you see the enormity of this venture?"

"I really don't care."

"I cannot shut it off! Not once it has started! You can't ruin my vision like this!"

"I think I can."

"The cluster is unstable!" Morgan quickly snapped all three out of their standoff. Too little, too late. A massive flash of light exploded in front of the ship, and then the ship shook violently. "No! It's overloading!" were Turan's last words before the ship's main window shattered.

(-)

Turan, Jack, and Morgan had all been able to activate protective suits and were trying to fly back on to the ship, which appeared to be drifting in and out of a powered state. Lance wasn't so lucky. He hadn't brought a suit after he woke up. Drifting in the vacuum, losing consciousness, Lance thought that maybe it was his time. Maybe this was it. He just wished he'd been able to see all of his friends one last time. Maybe he was now delirious, but he thought he saw another figure floating towards the ship. Who was that… All of a sudden Lance heard a roar that he was intimately familiar with. He chuckled inside. He should've known that red would never let him die.


End file.
